Chapter 16: What Else Did Xu Mo Teach You?

Ning Yongqiang, worried his sister might not understand, continued, “Sister, it’s like giving alms to a beggar. If I give a beggar money every day for a whole year, and then one day I suddenly stop, of course the beggar will feel resentful. He might even curse me behind my back!”

Ling’er found this hard to believe and couldn’t help but say, “That can’t be, young master. You gave him money every day for a year. How could he curse you for stopping?”

Ning Yongqiang looked at Ling’er and replied earnestly, “Because after a year of receiving money so easily, the beggar comes to see it as his due and doesn’t value it anymore. In other words, the money loses all meaning.”

Ning Yaxin pondered this for a moment and then nodded lightly.

Seeing his sister agree, Ning Yongqiang raised his voice confidently: “It’s the same principle in business. Don’t casually round down the bill or offer discounts without reason. Anything given away freely will not be cherished!”

“If you do offer something, make sure it has value!” Ning Yongqiang concluded firmly.

Ning Yaxin glanced at her brother and asked, “These ideas, did Xu Mo teach you all this?”

Ning Yongqiang grinned sheepishly, “Hehe, yes, Mr. Xu taught me everything…”

He quickly added, “Sister, let me tell you, we could actually serve all the dishes before the hourglass runs out, but Mr. Xu forbids it. He says we must purposely delay the cheapest dish!”

Ling’er grew even more confused and asked, “Why is that, young master?”

Ning Yaxin shot her a look. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s a deliberate ploy to make the guests feel they’ve gained an advantage and leave them pleased…”

“Moreover, this gives us the perfect excuse to hand out discount tokens. When guests see how thoughtful our Rare Delicacies Pavilion is, they’ll feel valued. With such attention to detail, how could we not have repeat customers?”

Ning Yongqiang clapped his hands in admiration. “Sister, you’re brilliant! You understand at once!”

Ning Yaxin pressed on, “Aside from this, what else has Xu Mo taught you?”

“Oh, plenty…” Ning Yongqiang replied immediately. “Sister, Mr. Xu said these are just minor tricks. The real key is whether our food is delicious and our service attentive…”

“If the dishes are poor and the service lacking, no matter how many clever tricks you use, the business will still fail!”

Ning Yaxin wholeheartedly agreed and nodded vigorously. “Exactly, that’s the heart of the matter!”

Ling’er shook her head in wonder. “It’s hard to believe these words came from a notorious gambler.”

Ning Yaxin herself harbored the same doubts. But on second thought, she realized no one is perfect; everyone has flaws, and a penchant for gambling doesn’t necessarily preclude business acumen.

Knock, knock, knock…

Someone rapped at the door.

Soon after, Luo Wannian’s voice came through: “Young master, Miss, your food is here!”

“Come in!” Ning Yongqiang replied.

In the next moment, the door swung open.

Two attendants entered with wine and dishes, carefully arranging them on the table.

Ning Yongqiang dismissed them with a wave, then said, “Sister, try these dishes—each one will surprise you!”

Ning Yaxin noticed a particular dish and asked, “Yongqiang, is this one called Stir-fried Chives with Egg?”

Ning Yongqiang nodded immediately, smiling. “Sister, how did you know the name?”

Ning Yaxin didn’t answer but instead asked, “What does it mean to stir-fry?”

Ning Yongqiang explained, “That’s what I wanted to tell you… It’s called stir-frying because we used an iron wok to make these dishes!”

“An iron wok?”

“Yes, an iron wok! It was Mr. Xu’s idea. Then we found a blacksmith to make one for us!”

Ning Yaxin was astonished. All along, people used ceramic pots or clay cauldrons; she had never heard of an iron wok before.

As Ning Yongqiang described the iron wok with animated gestures, Ning Yaxin still couldn’t quite picture it.

He said, “Sister, just eat for now. Later, I’ll take you to the kitchen to see it with your own eyes!”

“Alright,” Ning Yaxin nodded and picked up her chopsticks.

Curious about the taste of Stir-fried Chives with Egg, she reached for it first.

The moment she tasted a morsel, Ning Yaxin was dazzled—as if a door to a new world had suddenly burst open!

Her expression was one of shock. “This… this flavor…”

Ning Yongqiang said proudly, “Well, sister? Isn’t it like the food of the immortals?”

Unable to help herself, Ning Yaxin nodded and took another bite, savoring it with delight.

Ling’er stared in amazement. “Miss, is it really that good?”

Ling’er wasn’t greedy for herself; she only asked because her mistress was someone who had tasted countless delicacies. Ever since she had served her, she’d never seen her react with such exaggerated expression to any dish.

“Ling’er, you must try it! The flavor is so unique and delicious that I can’t even find the words to describe it,” Ning Yaxin said, her heart stirred.

Ling’er took a bite.

Immediately, she cried out in surprise, as if she’d eaten the finest delicacies from mountain and sea!

“Sister, try the others too—this one is Scallion Scrambled Egg, this is Cucumber Scrambled Egg, and this one is Mushroom Scrambled Egg…” said Ning Yongqiang.

Ning Yaxin asked, “Why are they all scrambled eggs? Aren’t there any others?”

Ning Yongqiang looked a bit aggrieved. “Sister, it’s not that we didn’t want to make other dishes; it’s just that today was our first time using the iron wok. Mr. Xu only taught us a few scrambled egg dishes; we haven’t learned the rest yet!”

“Xu Mo can cook as well?” Ning Yaxin was quite surprised.

Ning Yongqiang nodded. “Of course! Otherwise, who would have taught us these scrambled eggs?”

As they ate, the siblings continued to discuss Xu Mo.

The food was so delicious that Ning Yaxin and Ling’er ate heartily, soon clearing every dish on the table.

At this point, Ning Yaxin found herself intrigued by Xu Mo. “Yongqiang, go invite Xu Mo over. I’d like to speak with him myself.”

Considering Xu Mo a rare talent in business, she thought she might be able to bring him into her service.

“Sister, wait here. I’ll go fetch Mr. Xu right away!” Ning Yongqiang said, then hurried from the room.

Moments later, he returned, looking a little disappointed. “Sister, Mr. Xu had something urgent and left. He said he’d come by later.”

Ning Yaxin nodded. “If he’s not here, then never mind… Yongqiang, I’m a bit tired. I’ll head back now.”

With that, she rose and moved toward the door.

After only a few steps, she stopped. “By the way, Yongqiang, how did you manage to find this Mr. Xu?”

Ning Yongqiang shook his head. “Sister, I didn’t seek him out. Mr. Xu came to me himself, saying he could help me defeat Wang Shunyang…”

He went on to explain how Xu Mo owed one hundred and thirty strings of cash to the Changlong Gambling House, and had even mortgaged his ancestral home and his wife.

Hearing this, Ning Yaxin’s brow furrowed deeply, and she shook her head in anger.

When Ning Yongqiang finished, she could no longer contain her fury. “To think such a heartless, unscrupulous wretch could pawn off even his wife—utterly devoid of conscience, shameless beyond compare!”

In that moment, Ning Yaxin’s opinion of Xu Mo plummeted to the lowest depths. Not only did she lose all interest in meeting him, she no longer wished to see the iron wok, either.